Drive recorder main body and apparatus

Abstract

To provide a drive recorder capable of popularizing a drive recorder useful at the time of occurrence of an accident.SOLUTION: A drive recorder includes a cylindrical main body 10 including a function of the drive recorder, a mounting bracket 30 including a ring part 31 rotatably attached to an outer peripheral surface of one end in an axis direction of the main body and a mounting plate 33 coupled to an outside of the ring, and a nut member 40 that is mounted to the one end of the main body and interposes the ring part between the nut member and the main body to fix the ring part. An object detection unit 50 is stored in the nut member. A function to detect and report an object existing in the periphery is exerted at the time of a normal drive, allowing a user to easily introduce the drive recorder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive recorder and an optional vehicle component. [Background technology]

[0002] Drive recorders, which store vehicle status information (forward video, vehicle speed, sudden acceleration / deceleration, etc.) before and after a car accident, provide useful information for investigating car collisions and other accidents, so they are becoming increasingly installed in transportation vehicles such as trucks, and commercial vehicles such as taxis and buses, and are also beginning to be installed in general vehicles.

[0003] This drive recorder is configured to store forward images for a certain period of time before and after an accident or sudden braking, as well as driving data showing the driver's driving operations (brake operation, turn signal operation, driving route, etc.). To briefly explain the configuration for storing video data, a CCD camera constantly captures images of the vehicle and the surroundings from the driver's viewpoint (field of vision), and the captured images are stored in a temporary storage memory such as a ring buffer. The images stored in this temporary storage memory are updated to the latest images one after another, and past video data is held for a set period of time. On the other hand, a drive recorder is equipped with a sensor such as an acceleration sensor that detects impacts that occur in accidents or during sudden braking or steering, and when the output value of the sensor exceeds a threshold value, it reads out from temporary memory the video footage for a certain period before the threshold value was exceeded (impact detection) and stores it in non-volatile memory (such as an SD memory card), and from the point at which the threshold value is exceeded, it stores the CCD camera video captured after that point in time either directly or via the temporary memory, thereby providing the function of saving the video footage for a certain period before and after the impact as well as the driving data, etc. in non-volatile memory (SD card).

[0004] When an accident occurs, it is possible to clearly attest to the legitimacy of the driver based on the vehicle status information (video, etc.) stored in the non-volatile memory. In addition, when the drive recorder detects aggressive and dangerous driving operations such as sudden steering or braking, it can emit a warning sound or the like to alert the driver, creating a certain sense of tension in the driver.

[0005] Since this drive recorder captures and stores images of the area in front of the vehicle, it is usually attached to the vehicle's windshield, etc. Specifically, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a mounting member having a mounting surface inclined at a predetermined angle to the main body is provided on the top surface of a flat rectangular main body containing a built-in CCD camera, sensor, etc., and the drive recorder is adhered and fixed to a predetermined position on the windshield using adhesive tape, double-sided adhesive tape, suction cups, etc. provided on the mounting surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-193057 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2006-321423 A DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Improvements and developments to conventional drive recorders have been focused on improving the original functions of the drive recorder, such as reliably recording video when an accident occurs, accurately collecting and recording as much information as possible, and preventing unnecessary information from being recorded due to malfunctions when no accident has occurred. Since this type of drive recorder only has value when an accident actually occurs, it is true that they are installed in vehicles that are driven relatively frequently, such as taxis and other commercial vehicles, and are not often installed in vehicles owned by general drivers who do not drive much on a regular basis.

[0008] On the other hand, if an accident occurs, a drive recorder can be used to objectively check the circumstances at the time of the accident, which is also beneficial for ordinary drivers. Therefore, there is a need to popularize drive recorders and have them installed in as many vehicles as possible.

[0009] If a drive recorder and optional in-vehicle components such as a radar detector are added to a vehicle after it has been purchased, each piece of equipment must be fixed to the vehicle and power cables and other components must be wired for each piece of equipment, which can result in time-consuming installation and can mar the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle's interior. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is configured to include (1) a drive recorder main body (having functions as a drive recorder such as a camera, a recording means, and a control unit) and an optional vehicle part connected to the drive recorder main body. By connecting the optional vehicle part, for example, during normal driving or other situations, the function of the optional vehicle part operates, and in the case of many optional vehicle parts, the user can experience the value of their existence on a daily basis. Then, once an accident occurs, the original drive recorder function of the drive recorder main body records necessary information, and appropriate processing can be performed based on objective information at the time of the accident.

[0011] (2) It is preferable to have a mounting bracket including a ring portion rotatably attached to the drive recorder main body and an attachment member connected to the outside of the ring portion, and the ring portion is sandwiched and fixed between the drive recorder main body and the vehicle-mounted optional part.

[0012] In the embodiment, the ring part is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the drive recorder body and arranged so as to be exposed to the outside, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which all or a part of the ring part is stored inside the drive recorder body may be adopted. In addition, when the ring part is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the drive recorder body and exposed to the outside, coupled with the attachment member being connected to the outside of the ring part, the configuration is simplified and it is easy to rotate the exposed outer peripheral surface of the ring part and adjust the relative angle position between the ring part and the drive recorder body, which is preferable. In addition, the rotatable angle is set to the entire circumference of 360 degrees in this embodiment, but it may be set to a predetermined angle range. Furthermore, if the shape of the drive recorder body is based on a cylindrical shape as a whole as in the embodiment, it is visually preferable because there is uniformity in the design with the ring part, but it is not necessarily required to be cylindrical and any shape can be adopted. Furthermore, when the ring part is attached to one end side of the drive recorder body as in the embodiment, it is easy to adjust the angle and fix it, but a layout in which it is installed closer to the center may be adopted.

[0013] In the present invention, the ring part is rotatably attached to the drive recorder body, so that before fixing to the drive recorder body, the ring part and the drive recorder body can be rotated relative to each other to set the relative angle position of the drive recorder body and the ring part (bracket) to a desired state. Then, by fixing in that state, the relative angle position between the mounting member fixed to the windshield or the like by adhesion or the like and the drive recorder body can be changed or adjusted, and a single unit configuration can be implemented in different vehicles (with different windshield angles). Furthermore, in the present invention, such fixing can be performed by connecting the in-vehicle optional part to the drive recorder body, and can be performed by a simple operation of clamping, which is preferable.

[0014] (3) The drive recorder may include a mounting bracket including a ring portion rotatably mounted on the drive recorder body and a mounting member connected to the outside of the ring portion, and a fixing member for fixing the ring portion and the vehicle-mounted optional part to the drive recorder body. In the embodiment, the fixing member corresponds to the nut member 40. Note that, it is preferable to fasten the fixing member to the drive recorder body using a screw mechanism like the nut member because this can be realized with a simple configuration, but it may be fixed using a spring or by an appropriate locking mechanism. Furthermore, it is not limited to the embodiment in which the ring portion is sandwiched between the fixing member and the drive recorder body for fixing, and various mechanisms may be adopted, such as fixing by screwing using a screw (bolt) extending from the outside to the inside of the ring portion. In the embodiment, the target detection unit, which is an optional in-vehicle part, is stored in the nut member, which is the fixing member, and the fixing member is connected to the drive recorder body, thereby sandwiching and fixing the ring part and also sandwiching and fixing the optional in-vehicle part, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the optional in-vehicle part may be connected to the outside of the fixing member. Also, the fixing member and the optional in-vehicle part may be integrated in advance.

[0015] (4) The fixing member may be configured to clamp the ring portion between the main body and the fixing member to fix the ring portion. This is preferable because it is easy to switch between fixing the ring portion (positioning by stopping rotation) and releasing it (rotating and angle adjustable). In particular, if the clamping force can be adjusted, it is possible to perform temporary fixing in a lightly tightened state, which is good because it makes it easier to adjust the position. In particular, if the fixing member is connected by a screw mechanism as in the embodiment, the gap between the main body and the fixing member can be narrowed by tightening the screw, and the mounting bracket can be firmly fixed with a simple configuration. Note that, as for the threads that constitute the screw mechanism, in this embodiment, a male thread is formed on the main body side and a female thread is formed on the nut portion side, which is the fixing member, but of course the reverse arrangement is also possible.

[0016] In each of the above (2) to (4) inventions, it is preferable that unevenness is formed on at least a part of the opposing surfaces of the drive recorder main body and the ring part, and that the unevenness is matched when the ring part is fixed by the fixing member or the optional vehicle component. The rotation of the mounting bracket can be suppressed to some extent by the fastening force between the fixing member or the like and the drive recorder main body, but the rotation can be suppressed more reliably by providing unevenness at appropriate positions. In addition, although the unevenness is formed continuously around the entire circumference in the embodiment, it may be arranged discretely. However, it is preferable to form the unevenness continuously because the rotation angle can be adjusted finely.

[0017] (5) The vehicle-mounted optional part may be attached to the left or right side of the drive recorder body when installed in the vehicle. This configuration is preferable because the vehicle-mounted optional part does not get in the way, particularly when the drive recorder is attached to the windshield. In other words, since there is little space above the drive recorder body and the view is obstructed below, it is preferable to attach the optional part to either the left or right side (of course, both are also acceptable).

[0018] (6) When connecting the vehicle-mounted optional part to the drive recorder main body, it is preferable that the two are electrically connected by connectors provided on both. In this way, some functions can be incorporated into the other device (drive recorder main body / vehicle-mounted optional part) or shared, increasing the flexibility of the layout of the mounted parts and enabling the overall size to be reduced by efficiently arranging them. The number of connectors is arbitrary, and may be one or more.

[0019] (7) At least one of the connectors provided on the vehicle-mounted optional part and the connector provided on the drive recorder main body may have a cable. This is preferable because it allows for a rotation margin between the vehicle-mounted optional part and the drive recorder main body by the length of the cable, and also ensures a space between the two when installing them (at least the length of the cable is wider than when there is no cable), making the connector connection work easier.

[0020] (8) The connector provided on the in-vehicle optional part and the connector provided on the drive recorder main body may be a male connector and a female connector fixedly installed on the opposing surfaces of the in-vehicle optional part and the drive recorder main body, respectively, and the relative angular positions of the in-vehicle optional part and the drive recorder main body may be determined by connecting these two connectors. In this way, the relative rotational angle positions are determined by connecting the in-vehicle optional part to the drive recorder main body, so that the user does not need to perform special positioning work, and even if the installation direction of a radio wave receiver, a photographing device, or the like in the in-vehicle optional part is important, the user can set the appropriate position and posture.

[0021] (9) The connector has at least one of a power supply line and a signal line. In the embodiment, the connector includes both a power supply line and a signal line, but it may include only one of the power supply line and the signal line.

[0022] (10) The connector may include a signal line and have a function of sending an event signal from the in-vehicle optional part to the drive recorder main body and performing event processing together with input information on the drive recorder main body side. In an embodiment, the event signal may be a reception signal of various radio waves in a target detection unit or image data captured from the expansion main body 10'. In an embodiment, the event processing is performed by a control unit on the main body 10 side, and may include determining the presence or absence of a target to be notified based on the received radio waves, and if present, issuing a notification / alarm of the presence of the target, generating and recording images as a stereo camera, etc.

[0023] (11) The connector may include a signal line and may have a function for setting the in-vehicle optional part in response to a function setting signal output from the drive recorder main body. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a setting switch or the like on the in-vehicle optional part, which allows for miniaturization.

[0024] (12) It is preferable that an external power supply port is provided on the side of the vehicle-mounted optional part, and the vehicle-mounted optional part and the electronic device in the drive recorder main body can be operated by the external power supply supplied from the power supply port. In this case, it is not prevented to mount a charging / discharging circuit together with a rechargeable battery (secondary battery) inside and provide a function of operating by discharging from the secondary battery when there is no supply from the external power source. In particular, when the vehicle-mounted optional part is not supplied with an external power source when the vehicle is stopped, such as a security device, it is preferable to provide a secondary battery. Of course, when there is no supply from an external power source, it is also possible to supply power from a primary battery, so a secondary battery is not necessarily required. In addition, the secondary battery may be installed anywhere in either the drive recorder main body or the vehicle-mounted optional part, or both.

[0025] (13) The drive recorder body may be provided with a card slot for inserting a memory card for storing recorded data, and the card slot may have an outlet on the end face opposite the mounting bracket, making it easier to insert and remove a memory card such as an SD card into and from the card slot.

[0026] (14) It is preferable to arrange operation switches on the front of the drive recorder body, and arrange a volume operation unit for adjusting the volume of a speaker built into the drive recorder body on a side of the drive recorder body or the in-vehicle optional part. In this way, the switches that are used frequently are located on the front, making them easy to operate.

[0027] (15) The in-vehicle optional part may include a radio wave receiving unit, and the receiving surface of the antenna of the radio wave receiving unit may be arranged parallel to the operation direction of the volume control unit. In this way, the direction of the radio wave receiving unit can be estimated from the operation direction of the volume control unit, which is preferable because it is easy to adjust the direction and posture of the radio wave receiving unit to an appropriate direction and posture.

[0028] (16) The GPS antenna built into the drive recorder body may be arranged with an oblique upward tilt. "Arranged with an oblique upward tilt" means that the GPS antenna surface faces obliquely upward based on the basic position of the body (the standard position when the in-vehicle device is installed in the vehicle). In this way, even if the body is oriented downward (for example, the orientation of the camera when a camera is built in), the GPS antenna can obtain good GPS reception sensitivity.

[0029] (17) The vehicle-mounted optional part may include a radio wave receiving unit, and a positioning mechanism provided between the vehicle-mounted optional part and the drive recorder main body may set the relative angular position between the two, thereby specifying the orientation of the antenna of the radio wave receiving unit. This is preferable because the radio wave receiving unit can be automatically set to an appropriate position without the user having to be aware of the orientation.

[0030] (18) The installation surface of the switch formed on the surface of the drive recorder body may be a flat surface, and the camera may be oriented so that its field of view faces the opposite side to the installation surface. (19) In this case, it is more preferable that the direction of the flat surface and the field of view are set to be perpendicular to each other. When a camera is provided and the camera is set to capture the front as in a drive recorder, it is difficult to directly check the direction of the camera facing forward from inside the vehicle. However, since the installation surface of the switch (facing the inside of the vehicle because it is operated by the driver, etc.) is made a flat surface and the field of view of the camera is set to face the opposite side of the flat surface, the orientation of the camera relative to the installation surface (flat surface) is known, and the orientation of the camera can be estimated from the orientation of the installation surface. In this case, if the orientation of the camera is perpendicular to the flat surface as in the invention of (19), for example, if the installation surface is parallel to the vertical direction, the camera will face horizontally, and the direction can be more easily estimated. However, even if the orientation is not necessarily perpendicular, there is no problem because it can be estimated as long as the orientation of the camera relative to the installation surface is determined.

[0031] (20) It is preferable that the side of the vehicle-mounted optional part that is not connected to the drive recorder main body can be connected to another vehicle-mounted optional part. (21) The vehicle-mounted optional part can be a target detection unit that detects targets in the surroundings, (22) an additional drive recorder main body that has a function of recording as a stereo camera based on the cameras built into the two drive recorder main bodies, (23) an indoor photography device, a security device, a device to prevent drowsiness at the wheel, or various other types.

[0032] In addition, since the inclination of the windshield varies depending on the type of vehicle, there is a problem that if the mounting structure is fixed, it cannot be mounted on some vehicles. The invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 proposes a technology that detects the posture of the main body of the drive recorder and corrects the image captured by the CCD camera, assuming that the mounting posture of the main body of the drive recorder is changed. Although it is possible to prepare multiple types of mounting members (mounting jigs) according to the inclination of the windshield and mount the drive recorder using the mounting jig suitable for the vehicle to be mounted, such a configuration is not preferable because the multiple types of mounting members are sold as a set, which means that the user will have to purchase unnecessary mounting jigs. Therefore, according to the inventions (2) and (3), etc., the ring part of the mounting bracket is mounted rotatably, so that the relative rotation angle relationship between the mounting member of the mounting bracket and the main body can be changed, and one unit configuration can be adapted to different types of vehicles.

[0033] (24) The in-vehicle optional part of the present invention is an in-vehicle optional part connectable to a drive recorder main body for constituting the drive recorder according to any one of (1) to (23) above.

[0034] Since vehicle-mounted optional parts are connected to the drive recorder main body, they are called "vehicle-mounted optional parts" in the sense that they are options for the drive recorder main body. However, in this invention, regardless of the name, all equipment that meets the requirements of each claim and is connected to the drive recorder main body is included. Effect of the Invention

[0035] In the present invention, various services can be provided on an ordinary basis in many cases using optional in-vehicle parts, and drive recorders that are useful in the event of an accident can be made widespread. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1]1 is an external perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the mounting bracket 30. [Figure 7] 1 is an exploded front view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 is a front view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing a main body of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view showing the main body with a first case removed. [Figure 12] FIG. 1A is a side view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention with a first case and a CCD camera removed, and FIG. 1B is a side view showing the preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. [Figure 14] 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which the case is removed from the state shown in FIG. 13. FIG. [Figure 15] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] A preferred embodiment of the drive recorder according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. First, the drive recorder of this embodiment has a cylindrical main body 10, and a mounting bracket 30 is attached to one axial end of the main body 10, and the mounting bracket 30 is fixed by a nut member 40 as a fixing member.

[0038] The main body 10 is constructed by butting together a first case 11 and a second case 12, which are divided into two halves (front and rear). As shown in Figs. 2 to 5, one end 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12 is formed to have a slightly smaller outer dimension, and a step is formed between the one end 11a, 12a and the axial center of the main body. A triangular wave (saw-tooth) tooth portion 17 is formed on the wall surface where this step is formed. Furthermore, a male thread 18 is formed on the outer peripheral surface on the tip side of the one end 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12.

[0039] The mounting bracket 30 includes a ring portion 31 having an inner diameter that is approximately the same as (slightly larger than) the outer diameters of the one ends 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12, a connecting pole portion 32 standing on the outer circumferential surface of the ring portion 31, and a mounting plate 33 provided on the tip of the connecting pole portion 32. As shown in Fig. 6, the mounting plate 33 is disposed obliquely at a predetermined angle with respect to the diameter direction of the ring portion 31.

[0040] Also, on one side of the ring portion 31 (the side facing the main body 10), tooth portions 34 are formed over the entire circumference. These tooth portions 34 are set to have the same dimensional shape so as to match the tooth portions 17 formed on the main body 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the width D of the ring portion 31 is made substantially the same as the width D1 of the flat portion (the region where the male thread 18 is not formed) of one end portions 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12. Of course, it may be set wider than D1 (D1 < D), but in that case, it should be set shorter than the width D2 up to the tip including the male thread 18 (D1 < D < D2).

[0041] And, a nut member 40 is attached to the male thread 18. The nut member 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined length having openings at both ends, and a female thread matching the male thread 18 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 41 of one end portion thereof. Thus, when the ring portion 31 is attached to one end portions 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12, the ring portion 31 can be relatively rotated forward and backward with respect to one end portions 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12 with its central axis as the rotation center. Then, by meshing the tooth portion 17 provided on the main body 10 with the tooth portion 34 provided on the ring portion 31, the rotation is suppressed.

[0042] On the other hand, when the ring portion 31 is attached to the one end portion 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12 as described above, the male screw 18 protrudes outward from the ring portion 31. Then, the nut member 40 is attached to the protruding male screw 18. Then, as shown in FIG. 8 etc., by firmly fastening the female screw of the nut member 40 and the male screw 18 of the main body 10, the distance between the nut member 40 and the step portion where the tooth portion 17 of the main body 10 is formed is narrowed, and the ring portion 31 can be clamped between the main body 10 and the nut member 40 with a predetermined force. In this firmly fastened state, the tooth portions 17, 34 mesh with each other to prevent the ring portion 31 and the mounting bracket 30 from rotating, and when the nut member 40 is loosened, the rotation is permitted. Therefore, the relative angular positional relationship between the main body 10 and the mounting bracket 30 can be set (adjusted) to any position and fixed at that position. In other words, if a plane (direction) parallel to the joint surface between the first case 11 and the second case 12 is defined as the basic up-down direction of the main body 10, the angle between that up-down direction and the mounting plate 33 of the mounting bracket 30 can be changed.

[0043] A double-sided tape (not shown) or other adhesive member is attached to the upper surface of the mounting plate 33, and the mounting plate 33 is attached and fixed to the windshield of the vehicle using the double-sided tape. Therefore, the drive recorder of this embodiment can be adjusted to fit various windshield angles (25 to 75 degrees). That is, the mounting plate 33 is parallel to the angle of the windshield, but as described above, the relative angle of the main body 10 to the mounting plate 33 (mounting bracket 30) can be adjusted, so that the basic up-down direction of the main body 10 can be made parallel to, for example, a vertical plane (with respect to the ground) regardless of the angle of the mounting plate 33 (windshield). Of course, the angle between the basic up-down direction of the main body 10 and the vertical plane with respect to the ground can also be set to an appropriate angle. Therefore, one drive recorder can be installed in different types of vehicles.

[0044] Furthermore, by firmly fastening the nut member 40, the tooth portions 17 of the main body 10 and the tooth portions 34 of the mounting bracket 30 are firmly engaged with each other and their rotation is reliably prevented. Therefore, even if an impact is applied to the drive recorder due to an accident or the like, the orientation and posture of the main body 10 can be firmly fixed while maintaining the basic posture when the drive recorder is attached to the windshield (as long as the mounting plate 33 does not peel off from the windshield).

[0045] Furthermore, although not shown, a configuration may be adopted in which a packing made of an elastic body such as rubber is disposed inside the nut member 40 (on the side of the main body 10). In this case, the inner diameter of this packing is preferably set to be substantially the same as or slightly wider than the outer diameter of the male thread 18 of the main body 10, and the outer diameter of the packing is preferably set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the ring portion 31. And the thickness of the packing 50 is uniform over the entire circumference. In the present embodiment, since the width D of the ring portion 31 is substantially the same as the width D1 of the flat portion (the region where the male thread 18 is not formed) of one end portions 11a, 12a of the first case 11 and the second case 12, in a state where the ring portion 31 is attached to the one end portions 11a, 12a, the tip of the flat portion of the one end portions 11a, 12a and the end face on the nut member 40 side of the ring portion 31 are substantially flush. Therefore, one surface of the packing can contact the main body 10 and the ring portion 31 beyond the male thread 18, and the other surface of the packing contacts the inner surface of the nut member 40.

[0046] In addition, when the width D of the ring portion and the lengths D1, D2 of the respective portions of the one end portions 11a, 12a are set such that D1 < D < D2, the packing may be provided with an annular convex portion that fits into the stepped portion between D and D1 with respect to the ring portion instead of being in the form of a ring (doughnut shape) with a uniform thickness.

[0047] By providing an additional packing and utilizing the elasticity of the packing in this way, in addition to the effect of tightening the ring portion by narrowing the gap between the fixing member and the main body, the elasticity of the packing can improve the tightening force. Therefore, for example, by setting the gap between the fixing member and the main body slightly wider than the width of the ring (the distance when making it slightly wider can be changed appropriately depending on factors such as the thickness of the packing) and using the elasticity of the packing to fix the ring portion, it is possible to temporarily fix it. By exerting the temporary fixing effect in this way, for example, when installing inside the car, if there is no packing, the main body must always be supported by hand, but with the packing, it is possible to let go of the hand. Also, when adjusting the angle, for example, it is difficult to support the ring portion with the hand while pressing it against the main body and check the angle, but since the packing is temporarily fixed, it is possible to easily check whether the angle is correct without supporting it with the hand. Therefore, it has an excellent effect of making installation and adjustment easy even in a narrow space such as the inside of a car.

[0048] Furthermore, when a rubber material is used as the packing, in addition to the above-mentioned temporary fastening effect, it also exhibits vibration prevention and anti-slip effects, so that it is possible to prevent the nut member 40 from loosening due to vibration, and it is more preferable because it exhibits excellent effects not only when mounting the in-vehicle device but also when using it. In other words, it is possible to prevent unnecessary recording triggered by vibration as a drive recorder, and to more reliably record accident images when an impact occurs. Of course, this packing is not necessarily required.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a target detection unit 50 is disposed inside the cylindrical nut member 40. This target detection unit 50 receives various radio waves emitted from the target to be detected and issues a predetermined alarm depending on the contents of the received radio waves, or acquires the current position and, if there is information around the current position that requires an alarm or notification, issues a notification depending on the type of information.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the target detection unit 50 is configured by incorporating certain parts inside a cylindrical case 51. The outer diameter R1 of the case 51 is set to be approximately equal to the inner diameter of the nut member 40 or to be appropriately smaller, so that the case 51 can be stored inside the nut member 40. When the target detection unit 50 is stored inside the nut member 40, the nut member 40 and the target detection unit 50 are arranged so that their central axes are approximately aligned, and are relatively rotatable around the central axis. In other words, even if the target detection unit 50 does not rotate and holds its position, the nut member 40 is rotatable.

[0051] The other end of the nut member 40 (the tip side not connected to the male screw 18 of the main body 10) is provided with a flange 42 that protrudes toward the center. The inner diameter R2 of the flange 42 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter R1 of the case 51 of the target detection unit 50. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10 and other figures, when the target detection unit 50 is stored in the nut member 40, the tip surface 51a of the case 51 is exposed to the outside from the other end of the nut member 40, but the peripheral portion of the tip surface 51a of the case 51 contacts the flange 42, and is prevented from moving further forward (in the direction of jumping out of the nut member 40). Therefore, the target detection unit 50 stored in the nut member 40 is prevented from coming off the opening of the other end of the nut member 40 to the outside.

[0052] Therefore, when the nut member 40 is fastened to the male thread 18 of the main body 10, the target detection unit 50 in the nut member 40 is maintained in a state housed therein. As described above, in this embodiment, the nut member 40 and the target detection unit 50 are rotatable relative to each other, so that when rotating forward and backward to fasten / unfasten the nut member 40, the operation can be performed regardless of whether the target detection unit 50 is in a rotatable state or not.

[0053] Furthermore, the tip surface 51a of the case 51 of the target detection unit 50 is provided with objects to be operated by the user, such as a volume dial 53 and a DC jack 55. As described above, the other end of the nut member 40 is opened and the tip surface 51a of the case 51 is exposed to the outside, so that the volume dial 43 and the like are also exposed. By adopting such a configuration, the objects to be operated by the user can be placed in the limited space of the device, and as a result of attracting the user's attention during operation, it is possible to easily check whether the nut member 40 is loose.

[0054] In this embodiment, the nut member 40 and the target detection unit 50 are configured as separate members, but in this embodiment, the two are formed integrally, that is, the nut member is rotatably connected coaxially to the other end face 51b side of the case 51 of the target detection unit 50. This allows the target detection unit 50 to be attached to or detached from the main body 10 by rotating the nut member portion forward and backward.

[0055] Next, the layout structure of each component mounted in the main body 10 and the external exposure structure of the components will be described. As shown in Fig. 11, the CCD camera 13, GPS antenna 14, first connector 15, power supply circuit, etc. are mounted on the first case 11. A circular opening 11b is formed at a predetermined position of the first case 11 (opposite position to the CCD camera 13), and the CCD camera 13 is exposed to the outside from the opening 11b.

[0056] Also, the GPS antenna 14 is tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction of the main body 10 (a plane (direction) parallel to the joint surface between the first case 11 and the second case 12) so as to face diagonally upward (see FIG. 12(a) etc.). This makes it possible to obtain good GPS reception sensitivity even when the field of view of the CCD camera 13 is set to face diagonally downward when mounted on a truck or the like.

[0057] Furthermore, the first connector 15 is disposed parallel to the axial direction of the main body 10 and protrudes outward from one end side of the main body 10. That is, a window hole 11d is formed at a predetermined position on the end face (side surface perpendicular to the axial direction) of one end 11a of the first case 11, and the first connector 15 is exposed to the outside (its tip protrudes) through the window hole 11d. This first connector 15 is connected to the target detection unit 50, and the circuit in the main body 10 and the circuit in the target detection unit 50 are electrically connected.

[0058] 11(b) and other figures, a locking claw 12c is provided at a predetermined position on the joint surface of the second case 12. A locking recess is formed in the joint surface of the first case 11 at a position corresponding to the locking claw 12c, and when the first and second cases 11, 12 are butted together, the locking claw 12c and the recess engage with each other, thereby determining the position and preventing misalignment (particularly axial movement).

[0059] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, etc., the second case 12 side is equipped with man-machine interfaces such as the switch unit 20, the display unit 21, and the SD card slot 22, as well as a control circuit. The control circuit is a circuit for realizing the basic functions of the drive recorder, and stores the images captured by the CCD camera 13, and stores the data of the captured images and the like in a non-volatile memory based on detection signals from impact detection sensors such as an acceleration sensor (not shown). Although not shown, an output device such as a speaker is also implemented. For example, the operation sound of the switch unit 20 and various messages (guide, warning, etc.) are notified from the speaker. In addition, the second case 12 side is equipped with electronic components and electronic circuits for realizing the functions of the drive recorder, such as an acceleration sensor for detecting a collision, etc.

[0060] 12(b), the surfaces of the first case 11 and the second case 12 opposite to the joining surface are flat surfaces 11e, 12e parallel to the joining surface. Therefore, both flat surfaces 11e, 12e are set parallel to each other. The CCD camera 13 is exposed to the outside from the flat surface 11e of the first case 11 (the circular opening 11b is formed in this flat surface 11e), and the direction of the field of view of the CCD camera 13 is set to be perpendicular to the flat surface 11e.

[0061] On the other hand, the switch section 20 and the display section 21 are arranged on the flat surface 12e of the second case 12. When the drive recorder is attached to the windshield, the first case 11 (CCD camera 13) is set to face the front of the vehicle, and the second case 12 is set to face the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, it is difficult for a user such as a driver in the vehicle to directly check the orientation of the CCD camera 13. However, in this embodiment, the flat surface 11e of the first case 11 and the flat surface 12e of the second case 12 are set to be parallel to each other, so that the orientation of the flat surface 12e of the second case 12 facing the interior of the vehicle is the orientation of the flat surface 11e of the first case 11 and the CCD camera 13 as it is. Therefore, the orientation of the CCD camera 13 can be estimated by looking at the orientation of the switch section 20 and the display section 21 (flat surface 12e), and the orientation of the CCD camera 13 can be easily adjusted.

[0062] Furthermore, the SD card slot 22 is disposed on the side opposite to one end 12a of the second case 12 (see FIG. 11, etc.). In this way, among the man-machine interface, the switch unit 20, which is used frequently, is disposed on the front side, and the volume dial 23 and the SD card slot 22, which are used less frequently, are disposed on the side, thereby improving operability. Furthermore, since the SD card slot 22 is disposed on the side, there is no windshield or roof in the direction of insertion and removal of the SD card 60, and the SD card 60 can be easily inserted and removed regardless of the inclination angle of the windshield to which the drive recorder is attached or the direction of the drive recorder. Moreover, since the SD card slot 22 is disposed on the side opposite to the mounting bracket 30, the SD card 60 can be easily inserted and removed from the SD card slot 22.

[0063] Furthermore, in the structure of this embodiment, when viewed from the driver, the CCD camera 13 faces the front of the vehicle and the second case 12 is located on the driver's side, so that the SD card slot 22 is located on the right side and the mounting bracket 30 (volume dial 53, DC jack 55) is located on the left side (see FIG. 3). The main body 10 (one end 11a, 12a) and the mounting bracket 30 (ring portion 31) can be rotated 360 degrees relative to each other by loosening the nut member 40. Therefore, when the main body 10 is rotated 180 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 1 and the like to turn it upside down, when the drive recorder is attached to the windshield, the SD card slot 22 is located on the left side and the mounting bracket 30 (volume dial 53, DC jack 55) is located on the right side when viewed from the driver, which is the opposite of the above. Therefore, it can be attached by reversing the left and right sides, and can be used with both right-hand drive and left-hand drive vehicles. Furthermore, the mounting bracket 30 can be attached to a plurality of vehicles in advance, and one main body can be easily used by transferring it between these plurality of vehicles.

[0064] The target detection unit 50, which is an optional part, is connected to the first connector 15 and linked to the circuit in the main body 10, as shown in Figs. 13 to 15 and the like. That is, although not shown, a through hole is provided at a predetermined position (opposing the first connector 15) on the other end surface 51b of the case 51, and the tip of the first connector 15 is inserted into the inside of the case 51 through the through hole and linked to a receiving connector portion provided inside the case 51. In addition, a second connector 52 is provided on the target detection unit 50 side, and the second connector 52 is connected to the main body 10. In this embodiment, the first and second connectors 15 and 52 are used to link the circuit in the main body 10 and the circuit in the target detection unit 50, but the number of connectors and the position at which they are installed are arbitrary.

[0065] In this embodiment, the first connector 15 provided on the main body 10 is integrated with the main body, and the first connector 15 also remains in its position when the main body 10 is fixed. Similarly, the second connector 52 provided on the case 51 of the target detection unit 50 is also fixedly installed with respect to the case 51. Therefore, by connecting the first connector 15 and the second connector 52 to their corresponding counterparts, the main body 10 and the target detection unit 50 are integrated, and since there are two connecting parts, the main body 10 and the target detection unit 50 are prevented from rotating relative to each other, and the two rotate together around the central axis of the main body 10. In particular, if a relatively hard part such as a pin is used for the tip part of the connector (the connecting part) and the part is directly connected to the female connector of the other party, the connection will result in a closer integration and a relative rotational movement will be reliably prevented. Even though the main body 10 and the target detection unit 50 are integrated in this manner, the nut member 40 is rotatable relative to the target detection unit 50, so that the nut member 40 can be tightened and loosened against the male thread 18 of the main body 10.

[0066] As described above, if the main body 10 and the target detection unit 50 do not rotate relative to each other (even if they do rotate, the angle is narrow), it is possible to keep the rotational angle position of the target detection unit 50 constant with respect to the main body 10. As described later, the target detection unit 50 is equipped with a radio wave receiving unit, and therefore the radio wave receiving unit needs to be appropriately oriented in order to receive radio waves with good sensitivity from a specified direction such as the front or top of the vehicle, but it can be set to an appropriate angle position without the user having to adjust the positioning, etc.

[0067] 14 and 15, the target detection unit 50 includes a microwave receiving antenna 56 for receiving microwaves, which serves as a radio wave receiving section, a receiving circuit unit 57, a volume dial 53, and a DC jack 55, inside a case 51. A wireless receiving antenna unit for receiving wireless signals of a predetermined frequency may also be built in.

[0068] As described above, the DC jack 55 is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the case 51 and is configured to be exposed to the outside from one end side of the case 51. That is, a window hole 51c is formed at a predetermined position on the tip surface 51a of the case 51, and the DC jack 55 is exposed to the outside through the window hole 51c. By attaching a DC plug (not shown) attached to one end of a power cable connected to a cigarette lighter socket, for example, to the DC jack 55, the drive recorder of this embodiment can be supplied with power from the vehicle battery. In this way, since the power cable is drawn out from the side of the drive recorder (target detection unit 50), the drive recorder can be installed next to or near the rearview mirror, and the power cable can be hidden in the rearview mirror, making it look beautiful.

[0069] Similarly, the volume dial 53 is disposed on one end (tip surface 51a of case 51) of the target detection unit 50, with a portion of the volume dial 53 protruding outward from a vertical slit 51f provided on the tip surface 51 and allowing rotational operation. The volume dial 53 provided on the target detection unit 50 adjusts the output level of the speaker mounted inside the main body 10, and information based on the operation of the volume dial 53 is sent to the inside of the main body 10 via the second connector 52 etc.

[0070] The power supplied from the DC jack 55 is used to supply power to the devices in the target detection unit 50, and is also transmitted to the main body 10 via the second connector 52 and used to supply power to the circuits in the main body 10. When a rechargeable secondary battery is mounted in the main body 10, the secondary battery is charged by the power supplied via the second connector 52 by a rechargeable power supply circuit, and during a period when the power supply from the vehicle side is cut off, the secondary battery is discharged to supply power to the circuits in the main body 10. In this case, the discharge from the secondary battery is also used to supply power to the circuits in the target detection unit 50. This is to prevent the target detection unit 50 and the nut member 40 from becoming larger when a power supply circuit including a secondary battery is mounted in the target detection unit 50.

[0071] Furthermore, the target detection unit 50 may be provided with a radio wave receiving function that is not required for the drive recorder function and is not provided in the main body 10, and a control unit that determines whether an alarm is necessary based on the acquired information and controls to issue an alarm if necessary, and an output unit that actually issues an alarm to the outside, may be provided with the same functions as those provided in the main body 10. In this way, the target detection unit 50 can be made smaller, and the entire drive recorder can be made smaller.

[0072] Specifically, the control unit (MPU) mounted in the main body 10 has a target detection and notification function in addition to the original functions of the drive recorder. Also, information about the target (position information, type, etc.) is stored in the storage means (EEPROM, SD card 60 mounted in the SD card slot 22, etc.) in the main body 10. The control unit accesses the storage means based on the current position detected by the GPS antenna 14 in the main body 10, judges whether or not there is a target to be detected around the current position, and issues a predetermined alarm if there is. In the case of this embodiment, the type and direction of the target, the remaining distance, etc. are notified by voice from the speaker, and a message is output to the display unit 21 by characters or marks, etc. Also, when the desired microwave is received by the microwave receiving antenna 56 mounted in the target detection unit 50, an alarm is issued to the effect that the microwave has been received. Also, when the wireless receiving antenna unit receives a wireless signal of a predetermined frequency, an alarm is issued to the effect. The predetermined frequency may be, for example, a radio frequency used by an emergency vehicle in a car locator system to notify the vehicle of its location, or a frequency used for emergency radio communications.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the first and second connectors 15 and 52 are directly connected to the connectors (not shown) provided on the other side, respectively. However, one or both of the first connector 15 and the second connector 52 may be provided with a cable. In that case, when connecting the connectors, the work can be performed with a slight gap between the main body 10 and the target detection unit 50 due to the leeway in cable length, so that the connector connection work can be easily performed. In this case, it is preferable to separately provide a positioning mechanism between the main body 10 and the target detection unit 50 as necessary. That is, for example, a protrusion is provided on one or both of the other end surface 51b of the target detection unit 50 and the tip surface of the main body 10 facing the other end surface 51b, a recess is provided at a position facing the protrusion, and the protrusion and the recess are fitted together after the above connector connection, so that positioning can be performed. Also, a part of the board mounted in the target detection unit 50 may be protruded to the outside from the other end surface 51b of the case 51, and the protruding part may be inserted into a rear part provided at a predetermined position on the main body 10 side to perform positioning. In particular, since the board on which the microwave receiving circuit unit 57 is mounted is parallel to the microwave receiving antenna 56, the position (orientation) of the board directly corresponds to the orientation of the microwave receiving antenna 56, which is preferable since the orientation of the radio wave receiving unit can be directly adjusted and set.

[0074] Also, a configuration in which the first connector 15 and the second connector are connected (the main body 10 and the target detection unit 50 are linked by one connector) can be adopted. In that case, for example, by providing a cable to the second connector 52, connection is possible even in the state of this embodiment in which the pull-out position of the second connector 52 is eccentric. Of course, for example, the pull-out position (installation position) of the second connector may be set to a position facing the first connector 15 near the center of the other end surface 51b, and the two may be directly connected.

[0075] Also, since the target detection unit 50 is an optional part, it is of course possible to adopt a configuration in which no optional parts are attached. In this case, in order to provide a function of adjusting the volume and receiving power from the vehicle, it is preferable to prepare a basic unit equipped with a volume dial 53 mounted in the case 51 of the target detection unit 50 and a DC jack 55, etc., and to integrate the basic unit with the main body using the nut member 40. In other words, if the basic unit is made by removing the parts required for target detection, such as the radio wave receiving unit, from among the parts mounted in the case 51 of the target detection unit 50, the nut member 40 can be used for both. Also, since the volume dial 53, etc. are smaller in size than the radio wave receiving unit, the axial length of the basic unit may be shortened to reduce the size of the entire drive recorder. Of course, the nut member and the basic unit may be formed integrally.

[0076] In addition, the volume can be adjusted by operating switch section 20 provided on main body 10, or by using a remote control by providing a function for sending and receiving operating signals via the remote control.Furthermore, if the DC jack is located on the opposite side of main body 10 (the side where SD card slot 22 is provided), first connector 15 will be used for communication with the optional component or for supplying power from the main body to the optional component if an optional component is present.Therefore, if an option such as target detection unit 50 is not installed, a short nut member may be attached to simply secure mounting bracket 30.

[0077] 16 and 17 show another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the optional parts connected to the main body 10 are different. That is, two main bodies of the above-mentioned embodiment are prepared, and the mounting bracket 30 is attached to one main body 10, while the other main body 10' is turned upside down and, with the CCD camera 13 positioned on the same side, the two main bodies 10, 10' are connected and integrated via the connecting member 70. In this case, the main body 10' has the same configuration as the main body 10, but a dedicated main body for addition may be prepared.

[0078] The connecting member 70 has female threads on both axial sides, and both ends are designed to be freely rotatable relative to each other. This allows both ends of the connecting member 70 to be rotated independently relative to the male threads 18 of the opposing main bodies 10, 10' to be connected. When the two main bodies 10, 10' are connected, the CCD cameras are set to be fixed in positions where the shooting areas and shooting directions of the CCD cameras provided on both main bodies 10, 10' are as close as possible to each other.

[0079] The connecting member 70 connects the first connectors 15 provided on the main bodies 10, 10', and also has a DC jack at a predetermined position of the connecting member 70 (not shown), and has a power supply function of supplying power supplied from the vehicle side via the DC jack to each of the main bodies 10, 10'. This power supply function is configured with a connector that connects to a connector portion that is connected to the second connector of the target detection unit 50, a DC jack, wiring that connects the DC jack and the connector, and the like.

[0080] The image captured by the CCD camera 13 of the added main body 10' is sent to the main main body 10 side via the first connector 15 and the connecting member 70. Then, the main main body 10 side can record as a stereo camera based on the image captured by its own CCD camera 13 and the image sent. The stereo camera is preferable because it is useful for analyzing accidents because it can obtain distance from the difference in images from both cameras. The control unit of the main body 10 has a function to function as a normal drive recorder when operating alone, record necessary information when an accident occurs, and operate to record as a stereo camera when it recognizes that the added main body 10' is connected. Whether the added main body 10' is connected or not can be recognized by the function of checking whether an optional part is connected or not and, if connected, the type of the optional part. In other words, it is possible to confirm the other party by communicating (establishing a connection) with the other party connected via the first connector. The added main unit 10' sends the captured video and the like to the other party as described above, but may also have a function of recording in its own non-volatile memory. In that case, the added main unit 10' functions as a normal drive recorder, and even if there is a problem with the recording of the stereo camera on the main unit 10, the information as a normal drive recorder can be secured.

[0081] When recording data on SD cards in each of main units 10, 10', the recorded data on the two SD cards can be read out by a PC and the two images or other data can be synchronized and played back based on synchronization data, such as shooting time data, contained in both data.

[0082] In addition, since the two main bodies 10 and 10' start and end recording with different sensors, Although a deviation in the recording range may occur, this deviation can be addressed by performing appropriate correction processing, such as correcting based on time information, and creating a stereo image based on frames captured at the same time.

[0083] Also, the inside of the connecting member 70 may be provided with a through hole penetrating from the main body 10 side to the main body 10' side, and electrical connection may be made via a cable passing through the through hole. Also, the main body 10 may be fixed so as to face in a direction to capture the image in front of the vehicle, and the main body 10' may be fixed so as to face the rear side of the vehicle or the interior of the vehicle. In this way, images can be captured in multiple directions simultaneously. Since the main body 10 is easy to attach and detach, for example, it is easy to attach one main body to each of two vehicles and use the two main bodies together and reattach them to one vehicle only when a stereo image is required. Furthermore, in main units 10, 10', information relating to the mounting angles of both units (for example, information output by an acceleration sensor provided in main unit 10) may be recorded on an SD card, and the information on the SD card may be imported into a PC, and the mounting direction of each unit may be displayed (illustrated) using application software (viewer) on the PC based on the information relating to the mounting angles of the two units, or the images and vehicle behavior recorded by the functions of the drive recorder may be synthesized and displayed based on the information relating to the mounting angles of the two units.

[0084] Optional parts are not limited to the target detection device and second drive recorder mentioned above, but can include various in-vehicle devices such as a camera recording device for indoor filming (to prevent taxi robberies, etc.), security devices, and devices to prevent drowsiness at the wheel.

[0085] Furthermore, the connection of an option does not have to be limited to only one option to the main body, but it is preferable to provide a similar structure on the opposite side of the option unit from the main body side to allow for further options to be connected, so that multiple options (which may be of the same or different types) can be connected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 10,10′ Main body 13 CCD camera 20 Switch section 22 SD card slot 30 Mounting bracket 31 Ring section 33 Mounting plate 40 Nut part (fixing member) 50 Target Detection Unit

Claims

1. A mounting member for mounting on a vehicle; a camera provided on one side of the mounting member; a radio wave receiving unit having a microwave receiving antenna provided on the other side of the mounting member, The orientation of the camera provided on one side of the mounting member is adjustable. Drive recorder.

2. A drive recorder as described in claim 1, configured so that the control for determining whether or not an alarm is necessary based on information obtained from the radio wave receiving unit, and issuing an alarm if necessary, is performed by a control unit implemented on the one side that controls the drive recorder that records the images from the camera.

3. A GPS antenna is provided on the one side, 3. A drive recorder as described in claim 1 or 2, having a function of accessing a storage means based on the current position detected by the GPS antenna, determining whether or not there is a target object to be detected around the current position, and issuing a predetermined alarm if there is one.

Images